The Monster Girl Iris turned to Parmin, blinking. Parmin too blinked, her eyes glimmering. It wasn’t uncommon to meet someone with the same name, but to have the same name as well as a similar appearance?

The guide observed her clients. She suppressed the urge to circle the Monster Girl Iris and touch her delicate skin. They were too alike as if one of them came out of the mirror world. Her first speculation was a prank, but the astonishment in her clients’ eyes was too convincing.

Realising she’d fallen into silence, the guide shyly slanted her head to the side, chuckling.

“Customers, are you waiting for your friends?” the guide Iris said.

“We come in pair, Dear Iris,” Parmin smirked.

Both Irises looked at Parmin, the guide beaming, the Monster Girl glaring.

The guide nodded. “I shall do my utmost to lead the way. My eyes and ears are for nature and nothing else. Before we begin, may I know your names?”

“Parmin, a fashion designer, a girlfriend on a date.” She eyed the Monster Girl Iris, whose expression reddened.

“My name is . . . Elizabeth.” Iris lowered her head. When her mouth uttered her old name, her chest tightened. Her past-life memories emerged.

She was once a Saintess Candidate, an indifferent noble soul. How did she become this lascivious?

Parmin chuckled. “Your formal name is too long. Tell our guide your nickname, the name you chose for yourself, the name you accepted as a part of you.”

Iris wanted to protest, but Parmin’s playful gaze was too powerful. She sighed and stared into the guide’s eyes. “My name is Iris. Pleased to meet you, Iris.”

The guide’s eyes twitched. She peeked at Parmin’s solemn face. Though there was a hint of amusement, there was no irony. The lady before her didn’t play any trick. She was indeed another Iris.

The guide’s confidence faltered before it flared up with newfound determination. She’d never disappointed her clients, especially in the art of matchmaking. Her joy in providing suitable places and times for her customers overcame her stress.

“To avoid confusion, what should my new nickname be?” she said.

“No,” Parmin said. “Your name’s precious. You are Iris, and we shall call you Iris. Don’t let us take what’s yours.”

The Monster Girl Iris tightened her grip on Parmin’s left hand. “Parmin, you’re too much.”

“For you, I can be even more.”

“Can I still change my name?”

Parmin leaned toward Iris and kissed her right cheek, leaving behind a faint pinkish mark.

Both Irises didn’t expect such an aggressive advance. They simultaneously blushed. Their similar manners gave each other a strange feeling as if they were watching their twin sister.

“Lady Parmin, Lady . . . Iris, do you have any particular place in mind?” the guide said.

“We trust your skill and name,” Parmin said.

The guide softly coughed while eyeing the other Iris. That Iris hmphed, though her proud smile was showing. This smile affected the guide too, and she straightened her back. She was also confident in her skill and name.

“Please relax and leave everything to me,” she said. “There’s a romantic route exclusive for couples. No one will interrupt your beautiful moment; only nature will accompany you.”

“What about you?” Parmin said.

“I . . . won’t peek. I won’t listen. There is only nature in my eyes and ears.”

“What if we—”

“Parmin!” The Monster Girl Iris pinched Parmin’s left hand. “I dare you.”

“I was just joking. The only one I love is you, Iris.”

“If this’s how you wish to play this game.” The Monster Girl Iris let go of Parmin’s hand, walked to the guide Iris, and held her hands. “May I have your hands for the rest of the tour, Iris?”

The guide swallowed her saliva. She couldn’t go against Parmin, but she couldn’t deny the request either. She nervously grabbed the Monster Girl Iris’s hands and glimpsed at Parmin, who merely chuckled.

Hearing the chuckle, the Monster Girl Iris averted her gaze from Parmin and strolled off with the guide Iris. They ascended the slope, passing dazzling displays of nature’s ballets. Ethereal butterflies flapped their translucent wings, hovering near a bush of multicoloured flowers, whose nectar drooped from their petals.

Led by a mature guide, a group of three ladies, all donned in thick-fur dresses, held tiny cups below the flowers. Once the cups became half-full, the ladies handed them to the guide, who took out an outdoor set of liquor mixers.

She sprinkled spices, sugar, and salt into the cup and filled it with mineral water before enclosing it with a cap, shaking it until everything blended, and serving her clients within a minute. As she poured the liquor into martini glasses, a flowery aroma flooded the surrounding, reaching Iris’s group.

The guide Iris slowed until she stopped behind the three ladies. She turned to Parmin and the other Iris while pointing at the flowers.

“On this route, we’ll find the Passion Dew Flowers. Their nectar is a delicacy made for love.” The guide faintly blushed. “It’s said that this nectar has a magical property: those who drank it together shall find their hearts connected, their affection nurtured.”

“I’m curious. What’s the name of this mystical drink?” Parmin stepped closer to the Monster Girl Iris, who, in spite of her cold expression, didn’t shift away.

“Its name is . . . Vow of Love.” The guide’s voice trailed off. She lowered her head.

The Monster Girl Iris frowned. She leaned on Parmin and nuzzled her, slightly pushing Parmin away from the guide. “Parmin, should we drink it?”

“Allow me to a look first.” Parmin touched Iris’s lips. Iris held her breath and closed her eyes, but the kiss never arrived.

It annoyed her, though she couldn’t show her emotions. The other Iris was beside her, the innocent, lovely Iris who could seduce her Parmin.

After the three ladies and her guide savoured Vow of Love, they cheerfully left the scene, their hands interlocked, their bodies touching. The alcohol reddened their faces and loosened their minds, giving them excuses to act upon their feelings.

Parmin shook her head and sauntered to a bush of Passion Dew Flowers. She caught their stems, pulled their flowers inward, observed the flowing nectar, and sniffed its strong fragrance. Her mind jolted awake, and her chest warmed. It took her a few moments to suppress this swelling urge.

Everything was safe. No sign of poison or artifice.

The Monster Girl Iris held her breath. Parmin’s silhouette, combined with the sea of flowers and the unseen breezes, glistened like the prime gemstone atop the golden crown. The world came around to supplement her charm, building her up to become invaluable, romantic, and eternal.

“Iris, I need your help,” Parmin said.

The guide and the Monster Girl perked up. They turned to each other, maintained eye contact, and finally averted their sights.

The Monster Girl, scowling, crossed her arms and looked away. Her heart ached, yet she expressed nothing but dissatisfaction. The guide pursed her lips, her cheeks pink. She rushed to the Passion Dew Flowers and prepared the Vow of Love.

This couple sure had a fascinating way to flirt. The guide wryly mixed the nectar with the whiskey and herbs and shook it vigorously. Its colour merged into one, changing its shade according to the flow direction. After the drink cooled, the Vow of Love was complete.

The guide gave the other Iris and Parmin a glass each. With a grin on her face, she whistled and skipped away. Her footstep and song rapidly vanished, though her absence implicated the atmosphere.

Quiet gusts blew, and Morning Dew Flowers swayed. On this quiet path, only Iris and Parmin remained. They held the Vow of Love in their hands, unmoving, unspeaking.

“I don’t like her,” the Monster Girl Iris said. “How can someone else have the same name and personality as me?”

“I love her. She seems like an alternate version of you, where you never became a Monster Girl.” Parmin inched closer to Iris and raised her glass. “Shall we accept our vows?”

“Why did you check the flowers?”

“Is it not your girlfriend’s duty to look out for you?” Parmin licked her lips. “I’ve never heard of this service before. I thought someone might have a nefarious purpose. I found nothing, however. It’s indeed a new attraction.”

Iris remained silent. She raised her glass, crossed her right arm against Parmin’s, and poured her drink into Parmin’s mouth as Parmin did the same for her. A sweet, burning taste stung her tongue. The liquid crawled inside her mouth, slid down her throat, and seared her chest. Her mind slowly relaxed; her surrounding grew quiet and lovely.

“It’s a strong drink,” Parmin said.

“No wonder the three ladies dare to act so brazenly,” Iris smirked.

“Shall we surprise our guide? She must be preparing another romantic scene for us. A reward for her diligence is due.”

Iris clicked her tongue. “Parmin, this is our date. We’ve vowed our love. You’re mine, mine alone.”

Parmin laughed. “You’ve never been the chasing side before, haven’t you? Isn’t it exciting, tense?”

Iris wanted to retort, but she couldn’t deny the truth. Since she came here, everyone had been chasing her. She always sat on her bed of flowers, graciously drawing her hands for others to receive them. They wholeheartedly loved her. She didn’t have to do anything except be her.

Now, when a vague competitor showed up, she lost her cool and acted rashly. Though she didn’t use her magic, she still allowed her emotions to take over. This disgraceful behaviour was unbefitting to her image.

“My pathetic side has disgraced me. Parmin, will you give me a chance to prove my worth?”

“You’ve been proving your worth since we first met. No matter how you hide your feeling, I can consult your Red Threads, and your thoughts will lay bare for me to eavesdrop.”

Flushing, Iris turned away from Parmin and sped up her pace. With her hands tied to Parmin, she walked along the path amidst nature. The hill gradually increased its slope, but it was nothing for the two Monster Girls, whose love energised each other.

The guide Iris’s eyes contracted when she saw the couple approaching her. After drinking Vow of Love, most couples would deliberately slow their pace to enjoy the view and, most importantly, their partner. They would kiss and hug, whisper and shout, confess and tease, and do everything their hearts told them.

This strange, constantly bickering couple somehow overcame the strong alcohol, yet something about them still changed. They appeared much closer. Their love and hate combined into a unique set of emotions. Their magnetic charm seized her attention and refused to let her go despite her best effort.

“To whom were you talking?” the Monster Girl Iris said. Her wicked smirk chilled the guide. “Instead of staying with us, you escape somewhere else. Are you hiding something?”

The guide shivered. Her stuffy chest screamed at her timid heart. She lowered her head, the back of her neck glowing red. They hadn’t caught her, had they?

“My apology, Lady Parmin, Lady . . . Iris. I came here first to pick the spot most suitable for your viewing. It’s also for you two to bond without any interruption.”

“Then why did you gesture to someone earlier?”

The guide hid her hands behind her back and, realising it made her look even more suspicious, forced her hands to her sides. “I simply asked other guides where their clients went. I didn’t want you to run into others.”

As the guide teared up, Parmin turned to the wicked Iris.

“Iris, you’re too cruel—”

“That’s enough.” The Monster Girl Iris’s stern voice shook the guide, who held back her tears and lifted her head.

“I’m sorry. I . . . won’t leave you again. Please give me another chance!”

The Monster Girl Iris let go of Parmin’s hand and strolled to the guide. She grasped the guide’s hands, giggling, and kissed her cheek.

Both Irises blushed, but the Monster Girl rapidly recovered while the guide remained dazed.

“From now on, I’ll be the guide; you shall stick with me. Parmin will quietly follow us.” The Monster Girl leaned toward the guide. “I accept no objection.”

The whisper haunted the guide. She meekly nodded.